Cox calls House GOP speaker battle an ’embarrassment’ to country and party

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he’s “disappointed” by the failure of U.S. House Republicans to elect a new House speaker and that the solution will likely come from a candidate who hasn’t had their name mentioned yet.

The governor said it’s “incredibly frustrating” to see the dysfunction with the GOP caucus, when asked about the ongoing situation during his monthly PBS Utah news conference in Salt Lake City on Thursday.

“I think it’s an embarrassment to our country — an embarrassment to my party — that they can’t seek and find some consensus,” Cox said. “That’s incredibly frustrating, and we’re seeing the real-world consequences of that.”

Given the multiple ongoing crises around the world, the governor said a “sense of urgency” should be driving House lawmakers to find a solution.

Drawing on his experience as a state lawmaker, Cox said the caucus should have rallied behind current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, after he won a closed-door vote to lead the party.

Instead, Scalise later withdrew his name from consideration after Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a hardline conservative and close ally of former President Donald Trump, mounted an insurgent bid for the gavel and pressured lawmakers with the threat of using his and Trump’s platform to oppose their reelection if they didn’t support him ….

Please read Bridger Beal-Cvetko’s entire story at KSL.com.